How Oral Surgeon Dr. Cameron Lewis Transformed The Traveling Dental Industry
“This oral maxillofacial surgeon executive broke away from the traditional concept of having and running a dental office by transforming his practice into a traveling one.”
Presented by Luke Lintz
Entrepreneurs, inventors, and forward-thinkers; some say they are the reason the world goes around, but only if they succeed. But when they do, the world becomes a better place as they create new jobs and inventions and affect community development. These types of people bring positive social change by breaking away from tradition and removing dependence on old and outdated processes and technologies.
Cameron Lewis is one of those people. This oral maxillofacial surgeon executive broke away from the traditional concept of having and running a dental office by transforming his practice into a traveling one.
“When I first came up with the idea, everyone around me thought I was crazy. But the concept is simple,” he says. “I travel around the States, visiting various communities and bringing my services to different general dentists’ offices. I go in, do my job, take my pay and leave to another place.”
Lewis founded his practice, Cameron Lewis Corporation, back in 2014. The idea came after he experienced firsthand how poor dentistry can ruin people’s lives. He could’ve opened a traditional office to help people deal with dental problems, but, as Lewis points out, his reach would be minuscule.
The average dental practice with two hygienists and one full-time dentist takes care of around 20-30 patients daily and has approximately 1600 active patients. But most general dentists’ office procedures are simple; cavity removal, root canals, dental crowns, and cleaning. However, the need for highly specialized procedures such as dentoalveolar surgery, IV sedation, and dental implant surgery is smaller in any given area at any particular time.
Cameron Lewis believed that his skills and talent would be wasted if he stayed in one place. People would probably start coming to him eventually, but he could help more people in a shorter time if he traveled to them.
“I’m a huge believer and a big giver. God blessed me to become a doctor, but at the same time, He gave me a responsibility to help people around me. And I love helping people, whether it’s a positive message or fixing their teeth and bringing back a smile to their face,” says Lewis. “I believe that whatever you pour out to people will be returned to you. That’s why you have to use good measures in life no matter what. That’s why I decided to put my knowledge and skills ‘on wheels’ to reach as many people as possible.”
Besides taking the mantle of traveling oral maxillofacial surgeon executive, Lewis wears many other hats. He is also an inspirational speaker, an executive movie producer (A Question of Faith, 2017), and an avid philanthropist.
Back in 2018, Lewis joined the Mississippi Gulf Coast Autism Awareness committee to help raise funds for families who have children with autism. Another goal was to ensure that these families unconditionally receive the best primary healthcare training needed for adequate care of those children.
“It’s hard for the kids and even harder for the parents. Those kids need special schools and special care. But the parents often don’t have the required knowledge or resources to do that,” says Lewis.
“Every year, we have this event where we raise funds for families who can’t afford basic medical treatment for them or their kids. We also provide the necessary training for parents to properly care for those kids as being on spectrum requires a completely different approach.”
Being a good person and doing good deeds is a core part of Lewis’ faith-based personality. As Lewis explains, he will never stop doing that. Not because God requires him to, but because he wants those deeds to be part of his legacy. A legacy that will nudge and inspire others to follow in his footsteps.
“Faith and God are crucial to me and are at the center of everything I do. I couldn’t get this far without my faith,” he says. “I could tell other people to be good and treat others well. But talk is cheap, actions are worth more than million words, and I want to be the kind of person that leads by example. That’s why I will continue building my legacy of helping, giving back, lifting, encouraging, and empowering every person around me.”